Mission Recon: Absolute
by HanaYuuki Tensha
Summary: Post-Assault, with lyrics from "Absolute" by Thousand Foot Krutch. Janna, Jesse's younger sister, and Eric, her closest friend, join the team. But secrets are unveiled that threaten to destroy Mutant X-- or take Adam's life!
1. The Reunion

"**Ready to go?" the young man said, breaking his friend out of her thoughts.**

"**Huh?" she replied. Then she remembered their plans; "Oh, yeah! Yeah, I'm ready-- let's rock this!"**

**As they approached the nearby aircraft, the guy turned to her. "You okay there? You seemed a bit distracted."**

"**I'm fine. But where are we going again?" she asked.**

"**He was captured by the 'D' forces, but his other team is on the run." As they got in their seats, he continued to explain. "Remember what his instructions were?"**

**It took a second for her to process the info. "Yeah-- we weren't supposed to do anything unless things took a turn for the worst. Guess it got 'That bad,' huh?"**

**By now, they had left their home base and were heading towards their destination.**

"**That's the nice way of putting things. It got so bad that their own aircraft was set to 'self destruct' mode and later set off." Here, he looked at her. "Don't worry-- everyone else is safe for now, remember?"**

**Her face relaxed a bit. "Yeah-- that's good. Oh!" Here, she sat forward, staring intently at the console in front of her. "There are three signals coming from that field!"**

"**Yeah, but we're looking for four," the pilot said anxiously.**

"**Hang on-- let's cloak, and I'll zoom in with the camera to see," the young woman replied.

* * *

**

**Jesse Kilmartin and Lexa Pierce hung back from Shalimar Fox and Brennan Mulray. After watching the Double Helix and the Dominion building go up in flames, not one of the group wanted to speak. Lexa was especially quiet-- the memory of what she had been told still scared her, like an axe in a guillotene.**

_**Your expiry date is... fast approaching.**_

_**Your DNA structure was not fixed.**_

**Something seemed just wrong about the way that guy had said those words. After what happened over these past few weeks, Lexa was hoping that the Dominion was lying to her this time-- besides, they had lied about everything else. Why should she trust what they say about this?**

**She snapped out of her thoughts to the feeling of a familiar, comforting arm around her shoulder. Ease seemed to flow through her as she looked into Jesse's blue eyes. "Lexa," he asked, "are you okay?"**

**Despite her distress, Lexa smiled. "Yeah, Jess-- I was just thinking."**

**He looked at her, concerned. "About what?"**

**She creased her eyebrows as she forced the words out. "The Dominion agents told me that my DNA hadn't been corrected." She shook her head, then laughed mockingly, despite the turn their conversation had taken. "It's got to be a mistake, though! I mean, those guys are professionals at lying, murdering-- you name it! What's to say that they're believable about this sort of stuff?"**

**Jesse smiled, but only said, "I hope you're right, Lexa. I hope to everything that you're right."**

**Looking smug, she replied, "One hundred dollars says I _am_ right! Bet on it?"**

**He laughed. He was right earlier about Lexa's joke-making abilities-- put her under stress or get emotional, and she turned into a comedienne. And for some weird reason, it worked on him this time. "All right-- it's a bet." They shook hands on it. Looking forward, however, they saw that Shalimar and Brennan had stopped, and were staring at something that looked like their own Double Helix-- only this time, this one was larger than the other.**

"**What the heck?" Shalimar gasped.**


	2. Time Bought

"**What's going on here?" a very exhausted Brennan groaned.**

"**Beats me," Jesse replied.**

"**We're getting you all out of here-- that's what," a new feminine voice spoke, jarring the foursome out of their thoughts. And yet, to Jesse, she seemed somewhat familiar.**

"**Who's there?" Shalimar demanded, her eyes switching to feral mode.**

"**Show yourself-- we don't have time to play games," Lexa added with a snappy voice.**

**As two figures stepped out from behind the giant Helix-like clone, another newcomer, a guy, said, "No, we don't-- but those creeps coming up that hill sure look like they want to have a party."**

**The others looked back and saw what looked like several goons in power suits with guns making their way through the brushwood that they themselves had just gone through.**

"**They never give up, do they?" Shalimar said, just before everyone turned back to look at their new companions.**

"**So, what do you want _us_ to do?" Jesse spat at the newcomers.**

"**Ease up, Jess-- I have an idea. It's not much," the new girl said, as she stepped into the moonlight, "but it'll buy us enough time to get away from here. Now let's rock this, okay?"**

"_**Let's rock this!"**_** Jesse now remembered who it was that had said that so often.

* * *

**

"**Janna?"**

**Lexa looked back and forth between the two of them, slightly jealous. "You know each other?"**

**Jesse smiled proudly as he replied, "She's my little sister. I know I should have told you all sooner, but for some reason or another I never took the chance." He now looked at the girl in front of him. "How have you been?"**

"**I'm good-- but we've got to distract the goon platoon down there," here she pointed at the Dominion's troops, now even closer than before, "before we can chat."**

"**Right!"**

"**Okay, then-- Brennan?" she said, turning to her brother's best friend.**

"**Yeah-- how'd you know that? Or do I even _want_ to know?" he replied pessimistically. He personally suspected that Adam had told Janna and the new guy about the group, but he was too tired to worry about that now.**

"**Later-- I need your help."**

"**Listen, _Janna_," Brennan sighed, "I don't know if you know this but that armor those guys are wearing protect them from mutant powers, so it won't work to shock them."**

**Jesse and Janna looked at each other and grinned before she looked back at him. "Even when I do _this_?" she asked, as she stretched her right arm out in front of her and held her palm out.**

**Slowly a large, clear liquid started to gather and form into a ball, which grew bigger and bigger, until it was about as large as an over sized beach ball! With this, she ran a few feet, threw it up into the air as high as it would go, jumped, and then slammed the wet mass with her left palm over to their approaching foe. Only a second later, the team saw a group of drenched henchmen, as Janna rushed back to meet them, shouting, "Brennan-- _now_!"**

**For a second, Brennan stood there, staring at her with concern. What if it didn't work? Then, as if he had made up his mind, he shot a Tesla coil at their enemy. Surprisingly, the Dominion's guys stood there for a few seconds, shaking with the electricity flowing through his hands! And as soon as he stopped the flow, they all fell down, completely unconscious! Brennan, stunned at this, turned to look at Janna.**

**Smiling at the others, she quipped, "Okay, that should give us enough time to escape. Let's go!" She and the new guy led them into the large machine nearby, and aside from her and her friend, everyone was shocked. The inside looked almost exactly like their old Double Helix! Noticing this, Janna snickered, "You guys trying to send your eyeballs on vacation or something?" This snapped them out of their thoughts as they went to find seats, near where they used to sit in their old machine. Janna and the other guy, however, took the pilot and co-pilot seats, and immediate takeoff ensued.

* * *

**

**As the group left the field, the extra guy said, "Uh-oh-- there are a couple of tracking devices somewhere on board."**

**Lexa winced immediately. "I guess the Dominion decided to improve upon their old 'Governors' a little more."**

**Janna looked at her. "Sub-Govs?"**

"**I can assume that you mean these Subderminal Governors Jesse and I have in our necks, right?" Lexa replied, not entirely certain about the subject.**

"**Yep, that's what I'm talking about." Janna then turned to her companion. "Can you take over for a bit, Eric? I've got to get the Sub-Govs out of their necks, and we need to change course for a bit-- somewhere near the middle of the Pacific Ocean."**

"**Right, Janna," Eric confirmed, before quickly pressing a few buttons, taking hold of the controls, and proceeding to make a slight turn. "All clear for action."**

**Janna then grabbed a cannister and a strange looking device, and left her seat for Lexa and Jesse. Putting its hole over Lexa's Subderminal Governor, she warned, "Okay, guys. This is gonna sting, and you're both going to need antiseptic on the area as soon as we get to The Haven. Ready, Lexa?" Lexa nodded, then braced herself, teeth clenched, for deadly convulsions to run through her, as she had had with the data jack. Instead, there was a few "tinks", a brief shock, and then-- nothing! "Got it. You all right?"**

**Lexa automatically reached to her neck, where the Governor had been, and felt the area. Sure enough, it was gone. "It's sore, but nothing too bad."**

"**Great!" Janna piped, before turning to Jesse. "Okay, Jess-- your turn."**

**By the time Jesse had his Governor out and Janna had dropped both his and Lexa's in the cannister, they were already hovering above the middle of the Pacific.**

**As soon as Janna said, "Here's a good spot-- let's bury these things," Eric tapped a button on the console. The door opened, and Janna threw the cannister out of the machine, which landed with a "plop" in the water before sinking.**

**Brennan, tired though he was, woke himself up enough to spit out, "I hope the Dominion's creeps find those things-- and drown with them!"**

**As the door closed, Janna shook her head. "They may be foolish, but they aren't exactly stupid."**

"**What's the difference," he snorted back, not really caring for a reply.**

"**Stupidity does something without knowing _or_ caring about the consequences until they happen," Janna replied, sitting back at her side of the controls. "Foolishness does something knowingly, but they don't care, regardless of the consequences." Here, she solemnly gazed out the windshield. "Believe me-- I know what it's like on both sides of that fence."**

**Jesse watched her intently as the aircraft turned around, bound for the US. How did Janna become so wise since he'd last seen her?**

"**Oh! I almost forgot to introduce you guys!" Janna turned to everyone and continued, "Everyone, this is Eric _Eckhart_!"**


	3. Strain

"**Eckhart, as in the son of _Mason_ Eckhart?" Brennan hissed, now fully awake.**

"**You know the guy?" Eric replied, trying to ignore the building hostility.**

"**Yeah-- I'm the one who shock-fried the dude." Then Brennan turned to Janna with a snarl and started yelling, "Why do we have to be around _him_ of all people?"**

**Jesse realized that there would be blood if he didn't step in right now. "Brennan, that's enough, bro. There's probably a good reason--"**

"**Don't talk like you're Adam or something, man, 'cause I've got news for you--"**

**While they had been talking, Janna's smile had turned into an angry grimace. She made a fist and hit the side of the machine with a hard, loud "_BAM!_"**

**Everyone turned to look at Janna, including Eric in the pilot seat.**

"**Tone it, Brennan!" she roared.**

**Brennan was startled at her reaction. "But--"**

"**I said, 'Tone it'! Don't start judging someone if you don't know their story!" she spat back. "Besides, it's not like your own life has been peaches-'n-cream. So unless you have a good excuse for talking to Eric-- who, by the way, is my best friend-- like that, I suggest you keep your big trap shut! Got it?"**

**Now officially shocked, Brennan did as he was told.**

**Jesse looked at Janna, and shook his head with a laugh as he whispered, "You'll have to get used to it, man. But I have to agree with her on this one."**

"**Why?" Brennan replied in an equally hushed voice. "You know something the rest of us don't?"**

**His best friend meerly shrugged in attempt to shake off the question. "You'll find out when you're ready to hear it."**

**Brennan looked at Jesse, then looked at Janna, who had resumed controls of the machine, and then, with a sigh, tried to take a nap for the rest of the flight-- which he never got. The next thing he knew--**

"**Okay, guys-- we're here," Janna stated as calmly as she could muster. Her cheerful demeanor, once prevalant, was now replaced with an attitude of thin ice.**

**Everyone looked out the windshield and saw what seemed to be, from their perspectives, a two-story mansion-style house with a super-sized garage (which they were flying toward) on the left and a large fitness center on the right. As they flew inside of the garage, however, Janna tapped a button on her area of the console and the floor silently opened up to reveal the aircraft's hangar, allowing for their descent and landing. The floor, or what was now the ceiling to them, closed overhead without a sound. The next moment, the Helix clone landed, permitting them to exit the vehicle. Everyone, especially Brennan, got out silently. Janna and Eric, however, hung back, talking in whispers with each other as they walked.**

"**Wow-- I sure didn't see that one coming," Eric teased, smiling softly at her.**

**Janna crossed her arms as if tense, and looked down with worry on her face. "Sorry, Eric," she said, "I just thought Brennan kind of could relate to you, considering--"**

**He chuckled. "I wasn't talking about Brennan-- I've dealt with his reaction before with other people. But to see you go off like you did? I never thought I'd see that."**

**A hint of blush crossed her face. "I'm sorry-- I just couldn't stand him badmouthing you like that. But why didn't you speak up for yourself?" she asked, looking up at him with confusion. "Why did you let him talk to you like that?"**

**He looked ahead with a somewhat tired look on his face. "It's not the right time to shed light on the past yet. When the time is right, I'll be able to tell them my story." He gave her a sideways hug and smiled. "It's going to be all right-- ease up some, okay?"**

**Janna wasn't entirely convinced of Eric's last comment, but somehow the way he hugged her gave her strength to smile, despite her own weariness. "Sounds like a plan to me." Then louder, "I've got to go fix something for the group-- they look like they could use some grub. You want some, too?"**

"**Yeah-- I haven't had anything since lunch," he responded, about the same voice level.**


	4. Shock Factor

**I'm sorry that I haven't written a chapter in a while—I've had a serious case of writer's block. But now I have returned, so get ready!**

**After giving everyone a tour of Sanctus Haven, the codename for their new residence, Janna excused herself to her bedroom, or her "library", as she accurately described it. Eric, meanwhile, went to the gym for a run around the track, while the remaining four relaxed on the couches in the living room.**

"**Not a bad place over all,"Lexa stated. "Though I doubt we'll be able to peel Jess away from the tech center anytime soon." She looked at Jesse and smirked.**

**Jesse frowned teasingly and shook his head. "Come on, Lexa—I'm not that bad."**

**Shalimar laughed. "Actually you're worse than you think. But I doubt that Eric would appreciate it if you got another one of those Tunnel Quest games after all the hard work he, Janna and Adam put forth."**

**"Chill, you guys--I think we all learned from that incident," he replied. "Besides, I had a cohort when that happened, remember?" Here he looked pointedly at Brennan.**

**"Yeah, but you uploaded the stupid thing," Brennan stated. "But that's not the real issue at hand here. Truth is, none of us really knows what's going on, and to top it off, Adam--the only one who might possibly have a fix on things--is in the Dominion's clammy hands right now."**

**"Thankfully, the enemy doesn't have information on any of us," Lexa said. "I figured something was up, so as a precautionary step, I uploaded the 'kanemutiny' virus into the computers at Sanctuary and Dominion headquarters. I also left a video for you guys to see before the virus kicked in, in case the worst had happened. So whatever files there were about any of us were completely wiped out, and we're safe for now."**

**"Yeah, but also hungry," Janna's voice cheerfully echoed from the balcony. "I decided to forgo fixing a feast tonight, so I ordered us some pizza. Everyone game?"**

**"That's too bad--I was really hoping for some spaghetti," Eric quipped, having just entered the living building.**

**"Yeah--maybe tomorrow ni--"**

**Suddenly the wood railing on which Janna was leaning snapped in half, sending her flailing and screaming towards the main floor!**

**"_Janna!_" Eric shouted as he ran towards her falling form. Without warning, he started glowing, and as fast as a comet, went up in the air, followed by something like the sound of a firecracker. Before those watching could understand what they were seeing, Eric returned to normal, caught Janna in midair, powered back up, turned around, and landed in front of them, setting her on her feet again.**

**"Wow!" was all Shalimar could manage for the moment.**

**"Now _that_ was cool," Lexa admitted.**

**Jesse looked at Brennan, who was absolutely speechless, and patting his friend on the back, said, "And now you know."**

**"Ah, Janna," Eric said teasingly, "I think now would be a good time to put your fixer-upper skill to work."**


End file.
